Welsh Liberal Democrats Councillor for Cwmbwrla Ward, City and County of Swansea - Visit my main website at www.peterblack.wales

Friday, February 03, 2017

Corbyn gaffe upsets the LGBT+ Community

I think it is safe to say that Jeremy Corbyn is not having a good week. Having successfully split the Labour Party and lost thousands of members over his uncompromising stance on Brexit, the leader of Her Majesty's opposition has now put his foot in it at the start of LGBT History Month.

The Metro say that Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised after he said people ‘choose’ to be gay and lesbian as part of a speech in solidarity with people, whatever their sexuality:

However, the wording he used has raised questions.‘We’re with you, we’re in solidarity with you,’ he said. ‘Your triumphs are our triumphs.‘Our defence of you is a defence of all of humanity and the right of people to practise the life they want to practise, rather than be criminalised, brutalised and murdered, simply because they chose to be gay, they chose to be lesbian, they were LGBT in any form.’

The paper says that video of the speech on Twitter caused an immediate stir, with Conservative councillor Paul Church describing the comments as ‘retrogressive and offensive’, saying: ‘LGBT+ people do not ‘choose’ who they are.’

One commenter responded: ‘Well intentioned but complete FAIL’ while another said: ‘I think we need a new type of left-wing politics…led by Gen-Ys.’

One person tweeted: 'Memo to @jeremycorbyn - People don't 'choose' to be gay anymore than I 'chose' to be left-handed.'

By any standard this is the sort of clumsiness on the part of Corbyn and his staff which was easily avoidable. I suspect he will be delighted when the week is over and he can start afresh on Monday.

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